Kenyan troops are part of the regional forces deployed to DR Congo to fight the M23 rebels

The M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have said that a ceasefire supposed to take hold on Friday evening “does not concern” the group.

The BBC reported that the rebels called on the DR Congo government for direct dialogue.

The rebels’ spokesman, Lawrence Kanyuka, said that as they had no representatives at Wednesday’s mini-summit in the Angolan capital Luanda, they were not included in the accord.

The signatories – from Rwanda, the DR Congo, Angola and Burundi – said that under the cessation of hostilities, if the rebels did not withdraw from the area an East African regional force would attack their positions.

Kinshasa has refused to engage with the M23, calling them terrorists.

DR Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, who have been advancing on the regional capital, Goma.

Rwanda denies involvement.